-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering how to best regulate electronic cigarettes as tobacco products . While some regulation is needed , the current proposal entails a huge paperwork burden that will create a barrier to entry into the market for all but the biggest players -- namely , Big Tobacco .

Specifically , the FDA has indicated that it may require e-cigarette manufacturers to complete a long paperwork process before it will consider a product for approval .

Many industry watchers believe that only very large manufacturers -LRB- i.e. , Big Tobacco companies -RRB- would have the financial resources to meet the requirements , which could demand an estimated 5,000 hours per application , with every product combination requiring a new application . According to the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association , only 25 products among thousands currently available would eventually be licensed .

The tobacco industry will then be able to buy the small e-cigarette makers that are unable to meet the FDA 's requirements .

Big Tobacco will then get to decide which products are sold such that it can manage its own transition from cigarettes to e-cigarettes , or end e-cigarettes as a product category entirely , whichever better serves its financial interests .

In other words , the tobacco industry will be given a monopoly over the first new product to come to market that genuinely stands a chance of disrupting the business of selling smoked tobacco .

Needless to say , the tobacco industry 's primary concern is not the health interests of the public .

The World Health Organization has assessed that `` effective tobacco control and the commercial success of the tobacco industry are fundamentally incompatible ... accordingly , the tobacco industry can be expected to seek to avoid , prevent , weaken and delay effective policies and programs , which are against its interests . ''

Electronic cigarettes , also known as vapor products , are designed to mimic the experience of smoking . By heating up liquid nicotine in battery-powered devices , vapors -- rather than tobacco smoke -- are released .

While it 's too early to predict the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes , some experts say they are a safer alternative to regular cigarettes , which produce myriad toxic chemicals . For many smokers who have trouble quitting , e-cigarettes are a viable substitute .

The e-cigarette industry is young , thriving and innovative .

There are hundreds of online suppliers , many of which have been pioneers in developing next-generation vapor products known as `` mods '' or `` vaporizers . '' Unlike traditional retail outlets -- such as gas stations , large grocery store chains and pharmacies -- where point-of-sale data is collected and monitored by financial analysts , growing sales at vape stores and online websites are not being tracked .

Dedicated vape stores have sprung up nationally . The numbers have grown from around 10,000 one year ago to about 16,000 today , according to Ron Tully of Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association , an advocacy organization for the vapor industry . Vapor products are increasingly attracting consumers .

In Britain , an estimated 700,000 people -LRB- 5 % of all smokers -RRB- have transitioned to vapor products , mostly in the past two years . In France , e-cigarettes have helped reduce tobacco smoking according to one survey . These data show an impressive decline in tobacco smoking .

Since the surgeon general issued its landmark 1964 report on the dangers of smoking , public health officials have tried to combat it . However , high-profile researchers believe that e-cigarettes have the potential to save millions of lives among populations of tobacco smokers .

All consumer products are regulated , and e-cigarettes should not be an exception . Consumers need to feel confident that they are purchasing safe , high-quality items . But the regulation of e-cigarettes needs to be proportionate and not discriminatory , especially considering the potential they offer for eliminating the scourge of tobacco-related diseases . In the United States , e-cigarettes have become a top choice for smoking cessation according to a survey .

Meanwhile , Big Tobacco is muddling along , rolling out its vapor products with their underpowered batteries and limited capacity for e-liquid . Yet , almost unbelievably , their one salvation has arrived in the form of the FDA .

How the regulation of electronic cigarettes play out would have huge repercussions on public health and medical drug policies . The FDA should consider creating a tailored regulatory framework , one that would allow the e-cigarette industry to continue innovating to the point that smoked tobacco is made redundant , which could help save many lives worldwide .

And what would this framework look like ?

In lieu of its proposed regulations , the FDA should begin by requiring e-liquid and e-cigarette makers to register the ingredients and designs of their products . The agency should work closely with expert third parties -- manufacturers and scientists -- to develop strong product standards . The FDA should also conduct epidemiological research to make sure that e-cigarettes are contributing positively to smoking rate decline .

It 's about burdens . If you start from the precautionary principal -- treat something as bad until proved good -- you miss the context that e-cigarettes are designed to replace one of the most dangerous consumer products invented .

The FDA can not afford to miss this opportunity to get it right on e-cigarettes .

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The FDA is considering how best to regulate electronic cigarettes as tobacco products

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Oliver Kershaw : FDA proposal will benefit Big Tobacco companies , and that 's bad

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He says if tobacco industry is given monopoly of e-cigarette products , public health will suffer

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Kershaw : FDA should let e-cigarette industry innovate to save tobacco smokers ' lives